Life Unaware by Cole Gibsen

Regan Flay is on the cusp of achieving her control-freak mother’s “plan” for high school success―cheerleading, student council, the Honor Society—until her life gets turned horribly, horribly upside down. Every bitchy text. Every bitchy email. Every lie, manipulation, and insult she’s ever said have been printed out and taped to all the lockers in school.

Now Regan has gone from popular princess to total pariah.

The only person who even speaks to her is her former best friend’s hot but socially miscreant brother, Nolan Letner. Nolan thinks he knows what Regan’s going through, but what nobody knows is that Regan isn’t really Little Miss Perfect. In fact, she’s barely holding it together under her mom’s pressure. But the consequences of Regan’s fall from grace are only just beginning. Once the chain reaction starts, no one will remain untouched…

Especially Regan Flay.

Review: There are a lot of talks about bullying in schools these days even though everyone knows that it’s been a long time that it exists. I admit I have not really surfed on the wave and I haven’t previously read any books related to that topic. But after seeing the summary of this novel, I admit that I was very intrigued and the curiosity won out rather quickly.

Regan is a girl who does not necessarily has an easy life, and yet she does not hesitate to use the rumors and to harass other students at high school in order to always keep her place at the top. It must be said that her senator mother has already prepared her future and the girl can not deviate from the established projects. Yet she did not expect to see her status change one day and to become one of those girls that everyone talks about and that all hate. That terrible day comes when some rather difficult messages about the school girls appear on the racks of the girl, featuring each student. Therefore, the model little girl that everyone admired, falls literally from her pedestal and has to face the world against her. But in this adventure, she will not be really alone, and she will also be supported by a person she did not expect to get some help from, the brother of her former best friend, himself very unpopular. We therefore follow with her the clashes she faces continually but also her desire to apologize to everyone for all that she may have caused.

Despite what everyone else might think, it is quite easy to understand and to put ourselves in the Regan’s place (even if her actions can not be justified). She has an impressive pressure from her mother that forces her to act against her nature and besides that, no one seems to accept her anxiety and panic attacks that make her life hell. It’s pretty sad and violent to see the wickedness of other students, to see how others have the possibility of destroying a life in no time. We also have some quite difficult psychologically scenes and I admit that I was curious to see how all would end. Yes, it is a book that really touched me and that makes us think of our high school years in relation to certain events we have experienced or so to ask if we could have the same impact on someone. It is a book that makes you want to be there for others, to be good and acceptable and not to try to become someone else only to comply with the ideas that others have about us.

To conclude, I spent a great time with this story but it’s true that this is not necessarily an easy story. Do not expect something happy but rather a reality that one does not necessarily see. Yet the end gives us hope and it is true that I am now curious to read more writings of the author.

I really struggle with bullying and characters who think it’s okay to treat others poorly because they themselves are treated poorly by someone in their lives, but I’m glad that Regan is written in such a way that her actions are at least understandable if not forgivable. Definitely curious about this one Melliane!

Sounds like a weighty, important tale, which makes it that much more interesting I think. I love the attention bullying – and other issues – have got recently in fiction. It’s a great way to raise awareness. Lovely review 🙂

This sounds like a great eye opener of a book. It’s sad that bullying exists both in schools and in adult life. You’d think the older we get the more we’d understand that bullying is not okay, but that isn’t the case. Thanks for reviewing this book. I’ve been wondering about it and after reading your review I’m not sure it’s the book for me.

I want to read books like this. There is a few notable ones on kindle that others recommended that are suppose to be really emotional and must reads, but as a person who have been through this it feels like it will just take me to a dark place.